The Texas Heart Institute is excited to share the groundbreaking progress of 7 Hills Pharma Inc. (“7 Hills”), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, announcing that their first cancer patient has been safely dosed with alintegimod, an integrin-targeted agonist that holds the potential to enhance T cell activation and trafficking in patients who have shown resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. The Texas Heart Institute has been collaborating with 7 Hills during the development of this innovative study.

The study, a multicenter Phase 1b/2a trial (NCT06362369), is supported by a $13.4 million award from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DP230062) and a $2 million award from the National Cancer Institute (R44CA285207). These significant investments underscore the potential of alintegimod to revolutionize cancer immunotherapy.

“It is rewarding to see the progress that 7 Hills is making with this trial,” said Dr. Peter Vanderslice, Senior Investigator and Director of Molecular Cardiology Research at The Texas Heart Institute. “This is a promising development in cancer treatment, as it could provide new hope for patients whose cancers have not responded to traditional therapies.”

Alintegimod works through a novel mechanism of action, pioneered by the visionary co-founders of 7 Hills Pharma, to target critical steps in the cancer immunity cycle. By enhancing immune cell trafficking, antigen presentation, and T cell activation, alintegimod could play a crucial role in overcoming the limitations of current immunotherapies.

“We are full of gratitude as we reach this important milestone in the clinical development of alintegimod,” said Lionel D. Lewis, Chief Medical Officer of 7 Hills Pharma. “Treating a courageous first cancer patient is a significant step forward in our mission to deliver safer, more effective, and more accessible immunotherapy options for many patients with hard-to-treat cancers.”

As this important research progresses, The Texas Heart Institute looks forward to seeing the impact of alintegimod on patient outcomes and continuing our collaboration with 7 Hills to push the boundaries of medical innovation. Together, we are committed to advancing the future of cancer treatment and bringing new hope to patients worldwide.